Stolen Moped Recovered

Hello residents, hope you're all well.

This morning, officers were notified by a caretaker about a moped that had appeared and was believed to be stolen.

When local officers arrived, nothing seemed suspicious as the bike was in good condition and did not appear to be hotwired. However, after running the plate, it came back as stolen from the night before.

This moped was stolen using a new technique we haven’t seen before. Thieves are now removing the ignition switch (where the key goes to start the bike) and replacing it with their own, giving them a moped they have a key for without causing visible damage. This leaves no obvious signs of theft.

The moped owner was notified and came to collect the vehicle but was unable to start it, as the original key no longer fits. The owner will now have to take it to a repair shop.

After some research, we found that this is a vulnerability with older mopeds. If you own an older moped that might have this flaw, you can help protect your vehicle by securing your vehicle with chains and locks.

Please report any suspicious vehicles, and we will check them out.

Thank you to the members who reported this moped—you helped reunite it with its owner, who relies on it to travel to work.

Thank you, and stay safe.